Tag Archives: Traveling position

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle checklist For Passengers

Traveling position

  • Make sure you can sit comfortably and upright (without having to duck your head), and can easily see out of the windows.
  • Is there enough space above your head so you don’t hit the ceiling if the driver takes a bump too fast?
  • Will you be able to talk to the driver and any other passengers?
  • Will your carer be able to get to you if you need assistance of any kind while you’re underway?
  • Ideally, you should be positioned in front of the rear wheels or the ride can be very uncomfortable. This may not be possible in some smaller vehicles.
  • If you have uncontrolled movements, make sure you are not too close to un-padded parts of the car.

Getting in and out

  • Make sure that you, or whoever is helping you, can get you in and out and can safely and easily operate any equipment.
  • Make sure that you and your wheelchair will fit along the entry and exit route without getting stuck.
  • Some wheelchair accessible vehicle users place stickers on the ramp or somewhere else on the vehicle to help guide them into the right position when they are getting in.

Space

  • Think about who will be traveling with you.
  • Often, some of the rear passenger seats need to be removed to make enough space to get the wheelchair in – sometimes they’re replaced with folding or smaller seats.
  • Think about where you’ll stow, and how you’ll secure, any luggage or equipment you’ll be carrying. You can’t use the space behind the wheelchair travelling position – it has to be clear for you to get in and out.
  • Some wheelchair accessible vehicle users carry their extra luggage in roof boxes or trailers. Note that most wheelchair accessible vehicles cannot be used to pull a trailer because of the way the rear of the vehicle has been modified.

How To Choose A Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

When you’re choosing a wheelchair accessible vehicle, you need to think not only about all the same things you do when you’re choosing a standard car, but also other, more specific, things too. Just as when you’re choosing any other car, you may need to compromise and decide which features are most important to you.

Things To Consider

Size

  • Will it fit on your driveway or in your garage? Don’t forget you need to think about the space required for the ramp/lift to be deployed
  • Will it be easy to drive in traffic and on the roads you normally drive on?

Money

  • What’s the price?
  • If you’re buying it yourself, what’s the resale value likely to be?
  • What will it cost you to insure?
  • What’s the fuel consumption like?

Comfort and convenience

  • Can you get in and out easily?
  • Can you use the controls?
  • Is it quiet and smooth when you’re driving?
  • Is there good visibility for everyone in the vehicle?

Space

  • Is there room for all the people and luggage you want to carry?
  • What about times when you might want to carry a lot of luggage or equipment (ex. holidays)?

Features

  • Does it have everything you need?
  • What about air conditioning, automatic transmission, electric windows, remote start, heated seats, etc?

Performance

  • Does it give you reasonable speed and acceleration?
  • What about braking, ride and handling?

Specific considerations

Getting in and out

  • Will you choose a ramp or a lift?
  • Will you have someone to assist you?
  • Can you get in and out without hitting your head or having to duck?

Traveling position

  • Where will your wheelchair sit?
  • Will you be able to see out of the windows?
  • Will you be able to talk to other people easily?

Safety

  • How will you secure yourself and your wheelchair?
  • How will you secure any equipment you use to get in and out?
  • How will you secure anything else (unattended wheelchair, luggage, equipment, etc)?

Reliability

  • Can you rely on the equipment you use to get in and out?
  • What happens if it breaks down?
  • Are there manual over-rides for any powered equipment?
  • Do you have a suitable dealer nearby for servicing?

Build quality

  • Different conversions have been built to different standards, so some will be more comfortable and less noisy inside than others.